[Leica] Leica & Linhof

[Jim Brick <jimbrick@photoaccess.com>]

We had a good day last Sunday. My wife, daughter (Jillian), a friend, and
I, drove to Sebastopol (north of San Francisco) to see a large Sweet Pea
flower farm. These are the folks that sell the seeds throughout the US. A
few Leica M (me) and Leica R (Jillian) photographs later, we drove along
the Russian River to Jenner (a very tiny town on the coast). We then drove
south along the Sonoma coast to Bodega Bay. I found a very nice view to
exercise my Linhof 4x5 and 120mm Schneider Super Symmar HM. I needed DOF
from five feet in front of the camera to the horizon. By using front lens
tilt, I was able to achieve needed DOF nearly wide open (f/5.6) but I
stopped down to f/16 for insurance. I photographed at 1/4 sec at f/16 on
Fuji Velvia and polarizer. This lens stops down to f/64 and I usually end
up using it at f/32.

Front lens tilt is not a DOF panacea. When you gain one thing, you loose
another. You gain horizontal DOF and loose vertical DOF. So it must be used
carefully and you must spend a lot of time, at aperture, under the dark
cloth, checking the ground glass with a good loupe. Change the tilt, adjust
the focus, and check again, etc... This is very time consuming and usually
back breaking. It can also be quite hot under the dark cloth in the summer.
I found an outstanding dark cloth at Darkroom Innovations
(http://www.darkroom-innovations.com/  under BTZS Focus Cloth) that has an
elastic that stretches around the ground glass end of the camera and a
Velcro slot opening along the bottom for entry. Think of a bag with elastic
around the neck and a Velcro opening along one side. It's black on the
inside and white on the outside. Much cooler (both meanings of "cool") than
my old black cloth that was difficult to keep in place. And very hot.
While I was Linhof 4x5'ing, Jillian was Leica R'ing. Using a 35-70/3.5
(E67), and thanks to LUGger Robert Stevens, a 60/2.8, and a 21/4 SA. We are
anxious to see the results.

Jim